Grants for community groups will help support inclusion and leadership for women 

Eight community organizations will receive funding support to create greater opportunities for Island women and girls.

Funding through the 2021 Interministerial Women’s Secretariat Grants is for community group projects that focus on encouraging women and girls to pursue opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering + Math (STEM), skilled trades, and leadership, as well as engaging men and boys in gender-based violence prevention.

“I’m really excited about this round of funding to organizations in our province. These projects will provide direct training, enhance skills, create valuable resources and engage youth. These grants will help build safer, more inclusive and supportive communities for Island women and girls and strengthen their leadership abilities, voices and confidence.” 

- Natalie Jameson, minister responsible for Status of Women

This year, STEAM PEI is one of the organizations that will receive a grant for a project to help increase the number of women in STEM fields. 

“We are incredibly excited to have been selected as one of the grant recipients for our new Girls' Get Math project. We know that math skills and confidence are foundational to pursuing STEM careers, and research tells us that while girls perform just as well as boys, girls lack confidence in their math skills,” said Amber Jadis, manager, STEAM PEI. “This funding means we  can pilot hands-on math activities for girls at key grade levels that combine growth mindset with fun. We will also collaborate with UPEI's Faculty of Education to research the impact of improving confidence and perceptions towards math while showing how math is a fun and critical part of everyday life.”

Since 2015, the Interministerial Women’s Secretariat Grant has provided more than $800,000 in funding to community organizations across the province.

On the days leading up to International Women’s Day on March 8, Islanders can celebrate the diverse voices and contributions women have made – and continue to make – in our lives by posting on social media and using the hashtag #iwdpei. 

International Women's Day video (YouTube link)

This year, the International Women’s Day organizing committee has developed a podcast series to celebrate five Island women.

Media contact:
April Gallant
Department of Education and Lifelong Learning
902-368-6449
aldgallant@gov.pe.ca

Backgrounder 

Here are the 2021 Interministerial Women’s Secretariat Grants recipients:

Train UP: Deepening our Understanding of Violence Prevention.
Women’s Network PEI will receive $27,000 to develop an annual training for men and boys interested in engaging in violence prevention. This training will equip men to better speak to gender-based violence issues by providing training that includes themes such as healthy masculinity, bystander interventions, gender based and sexualized violence, and other important topics. 

Election HERSstory
The PEI Coalition for Women in Government will receive $19,250. Diverse candidates typically find themselves unable to break into politics and are often discouraged from the get-go to being involved. This project will shed light on the political process by creating and sharing a number of adaptable resources and tools, as well as one-on-one mentoring opportunities. 

Advancing Business Leadership for Young Women Entrepreneurs
The Prince Edward Island Business Women’s Association will receive $10,000 to help attract young women under 30 years of age, including recent post-secondary graduates in Prince Edward Island, newcomers to the Island and the BIPOC community who have created a business or are thinking of creating one by developing business leadership skills they need to thrive during these challenging times.

Girls Math Programs
Women continue to be under-represented in STEM fields, especially those that are considered more math-intensive. STEAM PEI will receive $40,000 to develop and deliver two extra-curricular math programs: a series of after school classes focused on play-based and practical life math for students identifying as female in kindergarten and grade one, plus a series of lunch time classes focused on growth mindset around math for grades 5 and 6. 

East Prince Women's Information Centre 
The East Prince Women’s Information centre will receive $20,000 to provide a training opportunity both in-person and online for women and girls to develop strong leadership skills.

Sport PEI 
Sport PEI will receive $15,000 for a project focused on organizing a number of workshops and group coaching to female leaders in sport.

Adventure in Kindness – Learning Empathy and Leadership During the Pandemic
The Adventure Group will receive $15,750 for their project. 

Actions Femmes IPÉ 
Actions Femmes IPÉ will receive $25,500 for a social reconnection project designed for Acadian and Francophone women in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.